CHICAGO -- Grady Sizemore's second half has convinced the Indians that the All-Star center fielder needs more rest in the future.

After hitting .273 (99-for-362) at the All-Star break, Sizemore hit .261 (71-for-272) afterward. Sizemore's triples dropped from four to one, homers from 23 to 10, RBI from 54 to 36, runs from 60 to 41 and steals from 22 to 16.

Sizemore's decline is somewhat distorted because he played 91 games before the break and 66 after it. Still, the Indians have taken notice.

"As we move forward we have to pick spots to give him more off days," said manager Eric Wedge. "He plays so hard and he plays every day. We started doing it this year and we have to do that a little more of that in the future."

This year, Sizemore played in 157 of 162 games. In the two previous years, he appeared in every game. He went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 5-1 season-ending loss to Chicago, but made a home-run stealing catch against A.J. Pierzynski in the seventh when the score was 3-1.

Sizemore's numbers, taken as a whole, are still impressive despite his .268 batting average. He scored 101 runs, with 39 doubles, five triples, 33 homers and ended in a tie for the team lead in RBI with Ryan Garko at 90 from the leadoff spot. He was the AL's only 30-30 man and finished with a OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .876.

Wedge believes Sizemore may have been worn down trying to replace the lost offense of injured Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner for much of the season.

"What's been remarkable about Grady's year is that when people scouted us, he was the one guy they focused on," said Wedge. "I'm sure they were saying, 'Don't let this guy beat you,' and he still had an outstanding year. We almost take Grady and what he does for granted because he does it every year. But you can't."

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated PressChicago's Orlando Cabrera lets loose with a yell after scoring on Jermaine Dye's two-run single in the seventh inning Sunday afternoon. The White Sox play a make-up game with Detroit Monday afternoon needing a win to force a division playoff game with Minnesota on Tuesday.

Wedge was impressed with the leadership Sizemore showed.

"He's always led by example, but this year he took on a little more leadership role," said Wedge.

"He's taken Choo under his wing," said Wedge. "Choo is very coachable. Everyone has so much respect for Grady. When Grady starts to get involved, it goes much farther that it would with other players."

The good: Wedge on what went right this season.

Choo (.309, 14 HR, 66 RBI): "What he's done this year has been outstanding, coming back from [a left-elbow] injury and being as consistent as he has."

Cliff Lee (22-3, 2.54): "It's the best season by a pitcher I've ever seen."

Jensen Lewis (13-for-13 in saves since Aug. 8): "What Jensen he did at the end of the year has been a difference maker."

Jhonny Peralta (.276, 23, 89): "What Jhonny did in the four hole was pretty special."

Asdrubal Cabrera (.259, 6, 47): "He had a great developmental year. What he has to do next year is come to camp in shape."

The bad: Wedge on what went wrong, "You look at everything we went through. Victor Martinez [left hamstring] got hurt on the first day of the season, we lost a couple of our starting pitchers [Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona] and it just kept going on and on. We had to put a lot of new guys in different roles, but ultimately they did all right."

Agenda 2009: Wedge would like to see the Indians do a better job with runners in scoring position next year. The Indians hit .272 (393-for-1,447) this season.

"I'm not talking about the double with the bases loaded, I'm talking about the sacrifice fly and the ground ball the other way," said Wedge. "They're cheap RBI, but they're RBI. The one consistent there is guys try to do too much in RBI situations. Less is more."